After Thursday night’s activity, the Premier League’s chances of earning an additional Champions League spot for the 2024–2025 season have significantly increased.
Newcastle United’s aspirations for Champions League football in the 2024/25 season received a significant boost due to an unexpected outcome in Thursday night’s Europa League and Europa Conference League matches. The teams advancing to the last-16 in both competitions were confirmed, and the draw for the upcoming knockout rounds occurred on Friday morning. Despite not having any European fixtures themselves, the Magpies have a vested interest in the outcomes of the UEFA competitions until the season concludes.
Although this season’s Europa League and Europa Conference League draws do not directly impact the Champions League, the performance of each team will influence which country secures one of the two additional spots for the redesigned Champions League format in the following season.
The leagues that have performed the best throughout all three European competitions will get these two berths. Points awarded for victories and draws will be used to determine which additional spaces are available. It becomes a competition between leagues as a result.
Italy and Germany currently hold the two positions that secure additional spots in the revamped Champions League, but England’s potential to surpass the Bundesliga received a significant boost courtesy of Belgian team Union Saint-Gilloise. Following a 2-2 draw with German side Eintracht Frankfurt in the initial game, Union Saint-Gilloise secured a 2-1 victory at Deutsche Bank Park, resulting in Frankfurt’s elimination.
In the coefficient table, the Premier League is in closer contention with Germany than Italy, and Frankfurt’s exit from the competition benefits England. While teams earn bonus points for reaching specific stages, it’s worth noting that the Conference League does not contribute bonus points until the semi-final stage.
Despite not securing victories in their first-leg matches, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund are still contenders in the Champions League. Additionally, Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg have advanced to the last-16 of the Europa League. The Premier League, however, has seen a reduction in the number of teams in European competitions, dropping from eight to six after Manchester United and Newcastle were eliminated at the group stage.
Newcastle, led by Eddie Howe, now relies on performances from their league counterparts in the last-16 of Europe’s three competitions. Currently sitting eighth in the Premier League, they are 12 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and ten behind fifth-placed Tottenham. Even if Newcastle fails to secure a top-five finish, the extra place allocated to the Premier League will enhance their chances of qualifying for the Europa League or Conference League.
This situation puts Newcastle fans in the unusual position of supporting English clubs Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Brighton, and West Ham in continental competitions this season.